Do c section and tummy tuck scars heal the same way?

Question

I am considering a tummy tuck and it appears that the tt scars take a lot longer to heal than c section scars. I've not had a c section but the ones I've researched seem to fade quickly where as the tummy tuck scars appear red years later. If my TT scar was red two years after, could I have it revised it so it heals like a thin, white line?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Tummy tuck scars can be revised at one year or 18 months, but most of the scars do not need revision.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Alejandro Nogueira, MD · Answer

Cesarean sections do not involve flaps, mechanical tension or massive swelling, which tummy tucks do, that is why their respective healing process is not comparable.

William Andrade, MD · Answer

C-section and tummy tuck scars heal under very different conditions.  When a C-section is done, a baby has just been delivered so the tummy skin is loose and there is no tension on the incision as it heals.  In contrast, the goal of a tummy tuck is to remove as much skin as safely possible so generally there is some tension on the wound (this can be reduced by closing the wound in layers but nonetheless the closure would be much tighter than a c-section wound).  Since a tummy tuck incision is closed under tension it is not surprising that the scar may be wider and/or take longer to fade and soften.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

A C-section wound is a straight line to the abdominal muscles, the skin is then closed under no tension.  The blood supply to the skin is not changed.  A tummy tuck is totally different.  The skin is lifted off of the abdominal wall and trimmed.  The blood supply is changed.  The wound is closed under tension.  The wounds heal much differently.  Revising a tummy tuck scar typically just starts the process over.  Time fades wounds.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

The Quality of the scar healing depends on how gingerly the tissues are handled during surgery and the patient's    healing capacity. It has little to do with the length  of the incision or the surgery.

Kenneth D. Christman, MD · Answer

Yes, these scars heal the same way.  However, different individuals may heal completely differently.  Some people have a predisposition toward keloid/hypertrophic scarring.  All scars are red initially.  They should fade by two years.  However, redness in and of itself is not an indication for scar revision.

William C. Rigano, MD (retired) · Answer

Most c-section scars are nice line scars hidden low. Although the scars look fine on the surface, the deep layers are disrupted and a little pouch of skin and fat develops. A tummy tuck is performed by a plastic surgeon with 6 or more years of surgical training. The complexity and procedure selection vary. Please see an experienced surgeon and review his own photos.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD (Retired) · Answer

Redness in scars typically indicate a scar that is still in the healing process. Red TT scars beyond a very few months are a result of that patient's genetic type of healing. If your other scars fade quickly, the TT will fade quickly also.

Do c section and tummy tuck scars heal the same way?

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